Our comprehensive northwest tour is set amongst some of the finest scenery in all of South America, and targets every single endemic and near endemic the region has to offer! From such diverse areas as Quebrada de las Conchas and Tafi del Valle to the spectacular Humahuaca Valley and Yungas Cloud forests of Calilegua National Park, no better backdrop exists against which to search out the region’s avian gems! Highlights include Rufous-throated Dipper, Tucuman Mountain Finch, flashy Red-tailed Comet, immense Andean Condor, Sandy Gallito, Burrowing Parrot, Tucuman Amazon and Lark-like Brushrunner.
Rufous-throated Dipper; Tucuman Amazon; Golden-collared Macaw; Grey-hooded, Green-cheeked & Mitred Parakeets; Sandy & Crested Gallitos; Brown & White-throated Cacholotes; Andean Condor; Spot-winged Falconet (rare), Black-legged Seriema; Chaco Chachalaca; Red-faced & Yungas Guans; Chilean, James’s & Andean Flamingos; Puna Ibis; Puna Plover; Moreno`s Ground Dove; Yungas Dove; Olive-crowned Crescentchest; Puna, Maquis, Steinbach´s & Scribble-tailed Canasteros; Rock & Buff-breasted Earthcreepers; Lark-like Brushrunner; Red-tailed Comet; Orange-headed Tanager; Tucuman Mountain Finch; Yellow-striped Brushfinch; Many-colored Chaco Finch.
Top Mammals Guanaco; Vicuña; Southern Mountain Viscacha; Culpeo.
Habitats Covered yungas cloud forest, montane forest, woodland, high andean grassland, monte desert, cacti scrubland, dry chaco, altiplano lakes, wetlands, marshlands, rivers, streams
Expected Climate hot and humid in the lower lying regions, moderate to very cold in the higher altitudes, strong winds can be expected at times
Max Group Size 8 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Tour Pace & Walking mostly relaxed
Accommodation comfortable
Ease of Birding moderate with some tricky species
Other Attractions spectacular scenery, pristine & little-explored wilderness, great cuisine, super-friendly people
Photographic Opportunities excellent
Peter is an excellent guide! He’s very friendly and did an excellent job is solving an problem that came along. PLU, He knows the birds well and would help us key in on the differences. I will go with him again! Pablo was our local guide and did a phenomenal job as well.
Bobby Wilcox is an excellent guide in every way.
Bobby Wilcox was a very capable and congenial leader. Our group consisted of birders of all levels of expertise. Bobby did his very best to make certain everyone got the opportunities they needed to have a very positive experience.
Peter Kaestner was completely committed to getting every bird possible on both tours. He was sensitive to all the needs of the participants and worked tirelessly on what could have been potentially serious limitations to the logistics. Getting the chauffeur/vehicle company to recognize the needs of a birding tour was difficult. And because of lack of flexibility in overtime use of the driver and deviations from an original itinerary, Peter had to work hard to make sure we had opportunities for every bird regardless. He was uncommonly successful in achieving these results.
It was an honor and a pleasure to travel with Peter Kaestner, an uncommonly quiet but knowledgeable, dedicated, focused, transparent, kind and caring individual, with a sense of humor and a willingness to take the group's wants and needs into account when issues arose. The whole tour was a rich and rewarding experience!